Nevertheless they tried it, pounding frantically with their fists, and kicking the solid panel furiously.
“No use, we can’t break it down,” said Slim crossly, nursing his aching hand. “My knuckles are smashed and my toes are smashed, but there’s never a dent in the door. You’d think the old thing would be rotten down here in this hole, but it’s so covered with paint that it’s waterproof. It isn’t wet enough to rot it,” he finished unhappily, scowling at the piles of dust at his feet.
“We’ll have to call until somebody hears us and comes down,” said Sahwah.
“Nobody’ll ever hear us down here,” said Justice. “We’re on the lonesome side of the hill, remember!”
Nevertheless they did shout at the tops of their lungs, and called again and again until their ears ached with the racket their voices made in the closed-in little place, and their throats ached with the strain.
“Nobody can hear us!”
The disheartening realization came to them all at last.
“Do you suppose we’ll have to stay down here until we starve to death?” asked Sahwah in an awe-stricken voice, after a terrified hush had reigned for several minutes.
“We’ll freeze to death before we starve,” said Justice pessimistically, shivering until his teeth chattered.
“Nonsense!” said Katherine severely. “We’ll get out somehow. Sherry and Nyoda will find the stair landing open and will come after us,” she finished, and the rest shouted aloud, so great was their relief at the thought.